BRO Wish List 2012

BRO WISH LIST 2012

New & gently used toys and games for boys & girls ages newborn -10 years of age.

New & gently used dolls. African-American dolls are especially appreciated.

New & gently used books for children newborn - 10 years of age. Board books, Golden Books, chapter books, early readers. Fiction & non-fiction.

Stocking stuffers for children ages 4 - 8 years of age. Card games, crayons, activity books, jacks, bubbles, small cars and trucks, small dolls, jump ropes, silly putty, yo-yos, beanie babies, and other small toys that will fit into stockings.

ŸItems for baby layettes. Sleepers, onezies, bibs, quilts, receiving blankets, sweater sets, jackets, booties, socks, knitted hats. Infant sizes 3 months to 9 months are most appreciated.

Office & other supplies. Copier/computer paper. Packing tape. All sizes of batteries. Large black trash bags (33 gallon or larger, name brand, our clients need to be able to carry the toys for their families home in these bags without them ripping.)

ŸToiletries for Wheelchair bags for seniors, tube socks for men and socks for women. Soap, shampoo, toothpaste, Kleenex, travel sizes welcome.

ŸToiletries for girls ages 9 - 10 years. Lip gloss, hair care items, shampoo, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, bath gel, brightly colored new wash cloths. Girl’s socks. Travel sizes are welcome.

Crawford Taylor Foundation

It is with great honor that we announce that the BRO recently received a grant for $1,500 from the Crawford Taylor Foundation. This grant will help us purchase toys as we prepare for our Holiday 2011 Toy Distribution.

Crawford Taylor Foundation

Old Newsboys Day

Look for the "Old Newsboys" out on the corner, bright and early, Thursday, November 20, 2008. The Old Newsboys Day Charities organization was established in 1957 by Duncan Bauman of the St. Louis Globe Democrat. The Globe is no longer in business, but Old Newsboys Day still lives on, sponsored by the Suburban Journals of Greater St. Louis. Volunteers from all over the city brave the elements and sell a special edition of the paper. The proceeds benefit children's charities in the St. Louis area.

BRO has been one of the recepients for many years. We hope to be included again, in 2009. We received $1,500 last year, which was used to purchase items for the layettes we provided for 500 moms and newborns in need and toys for the 3,000 plus children we serve during the holidays.

Volunteers from BRO will be among the brave souls standing on the corner on Thursday morning. Hope you'll be generous with the volunteers you pass by on your way to work, school and play. ( Unlike the photo above, we'll be wearing shoes, gloves, hats, scarves and heavy coats. Thursday morning lows are suppose to be 19 degrees!)

Herbert & Adrian Woods Foundation Grant

A very special "Thank YOU" to The Herbert A. and Adrian W. Woods Foundation, for their very generous gift of $10,000. While the Woods Foundation does not have a website it is fascinating to see all of the wonderful organizations supported by them in the Saint Louis area and beyond.

We intend to use a large portion to purchase culturally sensitive toys and books. Shirley, our retired librarian volunteer, is excited about checking out new books that feature African-American children. We will also purchase African -American dolls and other toys and games that are culturally sensitive.

We also intend to use it toward improvements in our work and storage space. We need some soundproofing between our work space in the basement of the lower level of the Presbytery of Giddings-Lovejoy and the Presbytery's meeting and conference spaces on the first level. We are hoping that the labor can be donated by mission groups from the various denominations in our community.(Renovations to the building occurred several years ago, and asbestos removal was much more expensive than anticipated and the budget did not allow for the finish work to be completed in the lower level.) We are also going to contribute towards replacing insulation and a ceiling in our third floor storage area that we share with the Partners For Just Trade.

Needless to say we are excited by the possibilities that are opened to us with this generous grant. In these troubling economic times it is especially generous and welcome.